Changes
by PAF
Summary: Maruguerite has a hard time dealing with the changes in the treehouse.


Changes 

Summary: Maruguerite has a hard time dealing with the changes in the treehouse. 

Timeline: Takes place shortly after Finn moves in with the explorers and right before Suspicion. 

Disclaimer: I don't own The Lost World or any of the characters associated with it. 

Rated: PG 

Note: I am not fond of the Finn character and one of the problems I had was how easy and seamless it seem for her to suddnenly move into our little group, These are people who had problems living together in the beginning it would stand to reason a new comer would have a hard time adnjusting to them and them to her.   


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Challenger and Roxton are outside working on the accumulator. Challenger glanced up at the treehouse. 

"So far so good. All seems quiet up there," he commented to Roxton who laughed a little as they went back to their work. 

"Well Finn was still asleep when we came down here and Marguerite was reading on the balcony. Let's just hope they don't get in each other's way for awhile." 

"Roxton, forgive me for what I'm about to say but it seems to me that Marguerite is being a little too sensitive over some of this. When Finn first arrived here we put her in Summerlee's old room and it wasn't her fault that Veronica chose to leave his pipe in the bureau after we packed all his other stuff away in storage. But Marguerite finds her holding it and literally grabs it from her, like some spoiled child grabbing their favorite toy." 

"I guess it was hard for her to see Finn holding Summerlee's pipe. Something that so many of us associated him with, which is probably why Veronica couldn't bring herself to pack it away." 

"Yes, but yesterday when Finn got curious about Malone's journals Marguerite grabbed them from her and told her that they were none of her business." 

"Now hold it, George! It was all I could do not to yell at her myself. What Malone wrote is none of her business." 

"John, the girl can't read. Apparently she was fascinated by the pictures nothing more and it was a little over the top for Marguerite to be acting so territorial." 

"George, try to see this from Marguerite's side. Malone and Summerlee meant a great deal to her and she is missing them, as well as Veronica." 

"I miss them too John. For heaven's sake I name a bug after Arthur." 

Roxton started to laugh. 

"I wonder what he would have to say to that?" 

"Alot no doubt. As for Malone, many a morning I expect to see him sitting at the table jotting something down in his journal. To look down from the balcony to see Veronica working in the garden." 

"George, I don't know how to tell you this but Marguerite seems to think that you have been trying to replace Veronica with Finn." 

Challenger looked over at him in astonishment. 

"She told you this?" He asked and Roxton nodded. "Do you agree with her?" 

"Well you have more or less taken it upon yourself to take Finn under you wing and make her feel at home here." 

"John, the girl came from a terrible world. You saw it yourself. The fact that I want to be a shoulder for her to lean on doesn't mean that she will ever take Veronica's place for me. No one could ever do that. I'm surprised that Marguerite could even think such a thing or even you for that matter." 

"George, I'm sorry. Its just that she has sort of become your new project, or something like that. I understand your need to help her and to save her from that world. But right now I'm worried about Marguerite. She hasn't told me much about her past but I know enough to know that it wasn't an easy one and probably very lonely. For probably the first time in her life she no doubt feels like she's part of a family, now one by one that family is disappearing or leaving her. Now someone else shows up and moves right in on all of us." 

"In short it will take her some time to adjust to all the changes around here?" 

"That's about the size of it. I was thinking that maybe if you think you can do without us for a couple of day I could take Marguerite on a little outing. The whole episode with Callum caused a strain betweein us and with Veronica leaving then Finn coming we haven't had much of a chance to deal with it." 

"Given the way things are going in the treehouse, a breather might be in order for all of us. I think that would be a great idea. It would give me a chance to help Finn understand the way things work around here and help her adjust as well." 

They hear a loud voice from above that sounded like Marguerite yelling. Challenger groaned a little and rolled his eyes. 

"Guess it was too good to last," Roxton said as they abandoned their task and headed to the elevator to the treehouse. 

Inside the treehouse Marguerite is in Veronica's room with Finn putting things back in the open trunk. 

"Are you going to answer my question. Just what the hell do you think your doing in here?" 

"I already told you I was just looking around. I got curious about the pictures and I wondered what was in the trunk so I..." 

"The stuff in the trunk belongs to Veronica Layton, this is her bedroom and while we're at it this is her house. While your here you are her guest, but that doesn't mean you can help yourself to her things!" 

"First its the dead scientist pipe, then its the reporters books, now this?" 

"Don't call him a dead scientist, his name is Summerlee and he's not dead." 

"Fine, have it your way," Finn told her in a defensive tone. "Listen why don't you make this easy on yourself and tell me what I can and can't touch." 

"Don't tempt me," Marguerite told her just as Challenger and Roxton walked into the room. 

"What's this all about now?" Challenger asked. 

"What do you mean, what's this all about. Where are we?" Marguerite said in a defensive angry tone. "We're in Veronica's room and this person thought she could just come in here to explore it!" Marguerite screamed. 

"What's your problem, isn't he giving you enough," Finn asked looking over at Roxton. 

"What are you talking about?" Marguerite asked staring at the girl. 

"Its obvious the two of you have something going on. But its also obvious because your so uptight that your not getting any." 

"Any what?" Marguerite asked as Roxton and Challenger had to fight back the laughter. 

"Marguerite, I think Finn is referring to the intimate relationship between a man and a woman." Challenger informed in an amused tone. Marguerite glanced over at him then back at Finn. 

"You have got to be kidding," Marguerite said in a disgusted tone and walked closer to Finn. "Let's get something straight, perhaps in your time its okay to openly discuss this sort of thing but in this time, in this place we don't openly discuss." 

"Or openly do it," Roxton said and Marguerite glared over at him. 

"Your not helping," She said then turned back to Finn. "Getting back to the subject at hand, I want you to stay out of this room in the future." 

"I still don't see why you are so upset about this, it isn't like I'm going through your stuff or something." 

"Of course you don't understand, because you never knew Summerlee, Malone or Veronica so why should you have any respect for their things," Marguerite said in an angry upset tone. Roxton went over to her and put his arm around her knowing full well where alot of the anger was coming from. "Or anyone elses things, as I recall your nothing more then a petty thief. You stole from Challenger and from me." 

"Finn, why don't we go upstairs," Challenger told her wanting to give Roxton time alone with Marguerite. 

"Sure, why not?" Finn said then looked back at Marguerite. She then walked out of the room with Challenger. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Roxton asked. 

"There's nothing to talk about," Marguerite told him trying to pull herself back together. She walked back over to the trunk to finish putting everything back where it was. 

"Marguerite, you've been pretty moody lately, even for you." 

"Roxton, I'm fine," She assured him as she closed the trunk. "I just don't like some outsider coming in here and rummaging through stuff that isn't hers." 

"I understand your anger, but what you have to understand is to a certain degree Finn is like a child. She has never lived in a nice place and probably has never had to deal with the issue of who owns what." 

"Don't defend her, Roxton! I get enough of that from Challenger. Poor little Finn grew up in such an awful world. If you want to champion her cause along with him, go right ahead but leave me out of it." 

"Fine, I'll talk to Challenger we'll try to keep Finn out of your way as much as possible if that's what you want." 

Marguerite laughed a little at the irony. 

"What I want, do you really want to know what I want, John?" She asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I want Veronica to berate me for being selfish and only thinking about myself, I want Malone sitting in a corner writing down everything I say or do," she says choking back the tears. "and I want Summerlee to call us to dinner at the most inopportune moment." Roxton went over and sat next to her. "Its funny you know, the things that annoy you most about someone, there the first things you miss when they're gone." Roxton puts his arm around her once more and she puts her head on his shoulder. 

"I miss them too," he told her in a reassuring tone. 

"I know, its just that it seems like so much has happened lately. First Malone comes back from the dead apparently, then Veronica gets lost in a balloon then Malone decides to go off on some quest of self discovery and Veronica decides to go off to find out answers about her parents. Then Challenger sends us on a little impromptu trip to the future where we pick up a little soveneir. 

"Things have been a little chaotic around here lately, " Roxton agreed and Marguerie laughed a little. 

"That's an understatement." 

"In fact I was just talking to Challenger downstairs about the possiblity of you and I getting away for a couple days alone." 

"Just the two of us?" Maguerite asked. 

"Unless you want to ask Finn to come along as a chaperone." 

"Very funny," she said in a sarcastic tone. 

"So what do you think, would you like to get away from it all for a few days with me? Perhaps we could go back to the beach. We never did get a chance to take that swim." 

"I'm beginning to think I might need a chaperone," Marguerite commented and Roxton started to laugh. "If you promise to be on your best behavior." 

"I will be a total gentleman, I promise." 

"Okay, then I'd like that very much." 

*********************************************************** 

Upstairs Finn is sitting at the table with a cross look on her face while Challenger is over by the book case. 

"It seems like I can't do anything right around her. I'm surprise she lets me breath the same air as her and her precise friends. 

"Finn, this may come as a shock to you but I think one of the biggest problems between you and Marguerite is that your a little too much alike." 

Finn laughs, "Me and Miss High and Mighty you have got to be kidding." 

"No, I'm not," he assured her as he walked over to the table carrying a book. "The best advice I can give you is to try to meet her half way. I realize where you come from it was every man for himself and possessions were well something that was scarce to say the least. But in this time possessions can be an important part of someone and you need to show respect for the possession of others." 

"Alright! I already promised Miss Krux that I would and I meant it." 

"Well, to your credit you do have a great deal to learn and you can start with this," he told her handing her the book. "Its a fine piece of fiction called Alice In Wonderland I thought it would make the perfect book for you to start to learn to read." 

"Your determine to teach me to read." She said. 

"Yes and some etiquette might be in order as well. What Margueirite told you downstairs about Male/ Female relations is true in this time we don't discuss it so openly and you are expected to wait till after marriage." 

"Your kidding, people actually wait till they get married." 

Challenger started to laugh. 

"Oh no! I said they were expected to wait but that doesn't necessarily mean that they actually do. However, if they don't they're not open about it, that is for certain." 

"Sounds very confusing. I guess I do have alot to learn." 

*********************************************************** 

That night Marguerite is sitting in a chair in front of the fire place looking at Veronica's sketches. Finn came up and looked over at the other woman. Marguerite looked up at her. 

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep, I didn't know that you were up." Finn said about to walk back downstairs. 

"Wait!" Marguerite said and the girl turned to look over at her. "Would you like to see these?" She asked. Finn walked over to her slowly. "Veronica drew them. She's quite a good artist," Marguerite said as she handed the girl the sketch pad. "This is her and Malone." 

"Ned Malone, the journalist, right?" Finn asked staring at the sketch. 

"Yes, that would be him." 

"He's kind of cute. Are they together, are they a couple I mean?" 

"Depends on what day of the week it is," Marguerite said in a teasing tone and Finn looke at her in a questioning way. "At the moment, no they aren't together." 

"Do you have any pictures of the other one, Summerlee is it?" 

"Yes, let me have that back a minute," Marguerite said and Finn gave it to her. Marguerite looked through the tablet till she came across the picture, she smiled a little then handed it to the other girl. 

"He looks like a really nice man." 

"He was, is I mean," Marguerite told her. "Finn, I know that I haven't exactly made you feel welcomed here and I wanted to apologise for that. As I said to you earlier this is Veronica's home and if she were here I know that she would make you feel welcomed." 

"I guess I have been a little out of line, according to Professor Challenger I have alot to learn. Not just about this time but this place." 

"All of us have alot to learn about the Plateau. So your not alone in that." 

"Could I ask a favor of you?" 

"Depends on what it is." 

"I was just wondering if you could tell me more about them. They obviously mean alot to all of you and I would like to know more about who they are if its not too much to ask." 

Marguerite smiled a little. "I think that can be arranged. Come over here and have a seat." She said guiding the girl over to the area by the fireplace. 

Roxton came up from the sleep area. He had gone to Marguerite's room to check on her only to find that she wasn't there. He could hear laughter in the somewhat darkened room and spotted the two women in the corner talking. Roxton smile then turned to go back downstairs all the while thinking that Marguerite never seized to amaze him. 


End file.
